Internal-combustion engine



Oct. 29, 1929. C KENNEWEG 1,733,228

INTERNAL COMBUST I ON ENGINE Filed Dec. 18. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l 22 TO FAN I I l I l 1 l i INVENTOR 4m MK Oct. 2 9, 1929. c KENNEWEG 1,733,228

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 18. 1922 2 SheetsSheex 2 ITIMLIIIL I 9 lull! llll ll an: 16 J6 is INVENTOR Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES ATENT QFFEQE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed December 18, 1922.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for supplying fuel to internal combustion engines, and particularly to those engines in which the fuel is injected by means 5 other than that used for admission of air to the cylinder, such, foreXa-mple, as engines of the Diesel type. In such engines, the fuel is generally injected into the cylinder in liquid form, but this practice is objectionable be- 1 cause of the heavy deposits of carbon on the cylinder walls which is occasioned thereby.

Further, the volume of the fuel when in liquid form is so small that a close regulation of the engine is rendered exceedingly difficult.

This invention provides for the introduction of fuel in liquid form to a heater in which it is vaporized. From the heater, the vaporized fuel passes to the cylinder for explosion. The introduction of fuel in gaseous 20 form eliminates the trouble and loss of efficiency due to heavy deposits of carbon on the cylinder walls, and on account of the relatively greater volume of fuel when it is introduced in gaseous form a much closer regu- 25 lation of the engine is possible.

' In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate more or less diagrammatically one form of my invention,-

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing my invention as applied to a two-cycle engine;

and

Figure 2 is a detail view of a portion of Figure 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, there is shown a two-cycle engine having the usual cylinder 2 and piston 3. It will be understood that the invention may be applied to a multi-cylinder engine, but for purposes of illustration a single unit is shown. Air is supplied to the engine by the usual port 1 through which it passes to the crank case 5 and thence by a passage 6 to the cylinder 2, as is well known.

The liquid fuel is drawn from a tank 7 through a conduit 8 into a pump 9. The pump may be of any desired construction and driven in any manner. The fuel passes from the pump 9 through a line 10 to a heater 11, where it is gasified, preferably by the exhaust heat of the engine. The engine exhausts Serial No. 607,535.

through a port 12 into a manifold 13 adjacent the heater 11, and this manifold is provided with fins 14 which greatly increase the heating area and insure complete vaporization of the fuel.

The gaseous fuel passes from the heater 11 to the cylinder 2 through a passage 15, in which is a valve 16 driven by the usual cam shaft mechanism 17 of the engine. The cam shaft is so timed that when the piston 3 reaches the top of its stroke, the valve 16 is opened and the fuel is injected into the cylinder, after which the valve closes.

The valve stem 16 is illustrated as provided with a self-adjusting packing. The packing 16 is held under suitable pressure bv the follower 16 pressed inwardly by a spring 16 enclosed in the cap 16 T The mixture may be ignited in any suitable way. In the illustrated embodiment. a spark plug 18 is employed for ignition. A spark plug is preferred for low pressures. Other means of ignition may, however, be our ployed, such, for example, as the autoignition caused by the compression of the mixture in a high compression engine; or a hot tube mav be employed, as usual in the Diesel type. The amount of fuel fed to the engine is regulated in accordance with the engine demands by a throttle valve 19 in the passage 15.

The temperature of the heater 11 is preferably regulated in accordance with the engine load. For this purpose, the entire heater 1'1, exhaust are surrounded by a jacket 20. Cooling air enters the jacket through an opening 21, and is exhausted therefrom through conduit 22 leading to a fan (not shown). A butterfly valve 23 I amount of air taken through the jacket 20. The butterfly valve 23 and the throttle valve 19 are regulated simultaneously by a linkage 24 controlled by the operator in any desired manner. The amount of cooling air thus supplied may be regulated in accordance with the amount of fuel fed to the engine. hen the engine is running at full load, it is necessary to supply more cooling air than when it is idling. It will be seen that by proper proport 12, and manifold 13,

in the conduit 22 regulates the in order to insure injection of fuel into the cylinder. If the pressure in the heater 11 rises above this predetermined point, the fuel is free to leak back past the valve 25 through a conduit 26 to the tank 7 The engine may be started in any suitable way. In the illustrated embodiment, a carburetor 27 supplied with a readily vaporizable fluid, such as gasoline, is connected to a fan 28 and, through a pipe 29 provided with a spark plug 31 for igniting the mixture, to the exhaust manifold 13, to introduce a burning mixture into the exhaust manifold and thereby bring the heater 11 to vaporizing temperature, whereupon the engine is turned over and will start. The pipe 29 is provided with a' cut-off valve 30. Other starting means might be employed, as, for example, an electric heater for the heater 11; or the engine might be supplied with a fixed gas for starting.

I provide simple and effective means for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine by first forcing liquid fuel into an enclosed heater, gasifying the fuel therein, and then injecting it in gaseous form into the cylinder. I also provide means for regulating the temperature of the heater in accordance with the engine load, and make provision for'utilizing the exhaust heat of the engine to vaporize the incoming fuel, thereby insuring great economy.

While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto, as it may be embodied in other constructions Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim; 1. In an internal combustion engine, a

cylinder and a reciprocating piston therein,

a heater, means for supplying liquid fuel thereto to be gasified, means for supplying the gasified fuel to the cylinder, means for regulating the temperature of the heater,

said means comprising a jacket over the heater, and means whereby a cooling medium maybe circulated between the jacket and the heater, substantially as described.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder and a reciprocating piston therein, a heater, means for supplying liquid fuel thereto to be gasified, means for supplying the gasified fuel to the cylinder, means for regulating the temperature of the heater,

means for controlling the amount of fuel supplied, said means comprising a jacket over the heater, means whereby a cooling medium may be circulated between the jack-' et and the heater, and a control for said circulating means, the control means being operatively connected to the fuel control means, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine and means for conducting exhaust gases-therefrom, of means for transferring thermal energy from the exhaust gases to fuel being supplied to the engine, cooling means for the transfer means, and means for controlling the cooling means in accordance with variations in the load upon the engine.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine and means for conducting exhaust gases therefrom, of means for transferring thermal energy from the exhaust gases to fuel being supplied to the engine, cooling means for the transfer means, and means for controlling the cooling means in accordance with variations in the amount of fuel traversing the transfer means.

5. The method of controlling combustion and temperature in an internal combustion engine having an enclosed heater, a cylinder and an exhaust which includes supplying liquid fuel to the enclosed heater, gasifying the fuel in the heater byapplyingthe heat of the engine exhaust thereto, passing the gasified fuel to the engine cylinder, regulating the quantity of gasified fuel fed to the cylinder, cooling the heater and varying the amount of cooling with variations in the amount of gasified' fuel fed to the cylinder. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 

